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The Orange Order will be represented at a major and highly
prestigious international festival in the United States this
month.
The Smithsonian Folklife Festival is expected to attract
around one million visitors when it takes place on the Mall
in Washington in June and July. Over 160 participants from
Northern Ireland will take part, joining delegations from
Virginia and the Far East, who are also featuring.
The event is the top tourist event in the United States and
Orange banners, photographs and artefacts will be among items
on display.
Included in the line-up will be a top banner painter, who
will be working on Orange banners to let visitors see how
they are produced.
Two of the Order's historians will also be officially participating.
Dr David Hume, the Order's Director of Services, and Dr Jonathan
Mattison, a Grand Lodge Archivist, will be detailing the history
and development of the Order for visitors to the event.
The three comprise the official representation from the Order,
and the Grand Master will host a reception this month to mark
the success of the Order gaining international recognition
at the event.
Included in the invitation line-up are Unionist MPs, and
other members of the Order who will be attending the event
in different capacities.
Grand Master Robert Saulters said that while the Order felt
that there was an imbalance in the composition of the overall
delegation, it was pledged to ensure that a positive image
of Northern Ireland was put across by its representatives.
"We hope all those who go will represent Northern Ireland
well, and that the event itself will encourage many thousands
of Americans to visit Northern Ireland in the year's ahead.
It goes without saying that we will be encouraging them over
to see our parades," the Grand Master said.
"The Order was very proactive in 2006 and staged, with
the assistance of Carrickfergus Borough Council, a major showcase
of Orange talent. While we are disappointed that not all those
who participated that night were selected by the organisers
to go to Washington, we believe their overall contribution
was a contributory factor to the recognition which the Orange
tradition has now been given," he added.
The Grand Master said that he was delighted that top banner
painter William Magowan and leading Order academics Drs Hume
and Mattision would be taking part in the event.
"There are others, including lambeg drum makers and
players, who will also reflect our Orange tradition, and we
will be bringing them together for a reception before they
head to the United States," he said.
William Magowan, who is from Garvagh in County Londonderry,
has been painting Orange banners for over 14 years and is
recognised as one of the top banner painters and the top drum
painter in Northern Ireland. He developed a strong interest
in drawing from the age of five years and his first job after
he left school was spray painting lorries.
Now William is set to display the skills utilised in painting
banners when he sets up at the Mall in Washington.
Also there to help explain the Orange tradition and culture
will be Dr David Hume, the Order's Director of Services. A
native of Ballycarry in County Antrim, he is author and historian
and a member of Magheramorne LOL 291 outside Larne. The Orange
official is also an Honorary Citizen of the town of Clover
in South Carolina.
Dr Jonathan Mattision is one of the Archivists of Grand Lodge.
He is a member of Listullycurran LOL 616 at Dromore, County
Down, and is a graduate of Queen's University in Belfast.
The Festival will take place from June 27th until July 8th
this year and national and international coverage of the event
is likely to reach 50 million people, including policy makers
and corporate and tourist industry leaders. It could generate
up to £6 million worth of positive exposure, according
to the organisers.
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